Interiors
Experts Tell Homeowners To Ditch The Fan And Keep Windows Closed During Heatwaves
As summer temperatures persist, people are seeking ways to cool their homes. However, experts at BOXT have found that many popular home cooling hacks are actually ineffective and could be costing you.
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Andy Kerr, Founder at BOXT says: “Getting rid of unwanted heat in your home can be difficult in the summer months, especially when most UK properties are built to retain heat. While grabbing a fan or opening up all your windows are often mentioned as effective ways to cool your home, these methods may not result in the desired results.
“To help homeowners keep cool as the warmer months approach, we have revealed which common home cooling hacks are myths and why they don’t work so you can avoid them this summer.”
Five home cooling hacks to avoid this summer:
Opening all your windows
When temperatures are particularly warm, opening up all your windows will let more hot air into your home, heating up your home and making you feel warmer. Instead of opening all your windows, it is much better to strategically open windows to create cross breezes throughout the day and open your windows during the night to let cooler air in.
Fans in unoccupied rooms
Homeowners often leave fans on in unoccupied rooms all day, hoping it will cool the temperature when they enter later on. However, fans don’t cool air, they simply move it around, meaning the temperature of your room will not lower. Leaving appliances on in rooms that are not being used will also increase energy bills and cost you more in the long run.
Ice in front of a fan
One home cooling hack that has grown in popularity in recent years is putting ice in front of your fan, however, this hack has limited impact. While it may create a small and localised cooling effect if you are very close to the fan, it will not lower the overall temperature of your home. In comparison, air conditioning units take warm air into the system and disperse cold air, making the room noticeably cooler.
Closing vents in unused rooms
A common home cooling misconception is that closing vents in unused rooms will help save energy and cool the rest of your home faster by redirecting airflow. While closing vents does redirect air, the air you want to redirect is lost to the property's duct leaks and unconditioned areas. This imbalance in the system also makes the system work harder to cool your home and can cause significant and costly damage to the system.
Turning the thermostat down
If you have air conditioning in your property, you may be tempted to turn the thermostat down drastically in an attempt to cool your home. However, most air conditioning units cool at a consistent pace until reaching the temperature set on the thermostat. This means setting the thermostat to a very low temperature will not cool your home faster, it will just make your unit work for longer. Instead, it is better to reduce the thermostat gradually until the desired temperature is reached.
Andy finishes: “Ultimately, if you are looking for a long term, efficient solution to keeping your home cool, it is a good idea to consider installing energy-efficient windows, improving home insulation and ventilation and installing or optimising an HVAC system. While these home improvements may be more costly initially, they will provide effective cooling for your home in the long term.”
For more information on how to keep your home cool this summer, please visit here.
You can also get a fixed price quote for an air conditioning unit by clicking here
